Elke Uitentuis

Elke Uitentuis is a visual artist, activist and mother. She formed an artist duo with Wouter Osterholt (Osterholt/Uitentuis) from 2005 till 2013. Their collaborative practice centered around facilitating democratic processes in relation to people’s direct surroundings. Osterholt/Uitentuis realized projects in collaboration with the Townhouse Gallery in Cairo, Capacete in Rio de Janeiro, The MAK Center in Los Angeles and the Istanbul Biennial in Istanbul.. In 2012 Elke Uitentuis co-founded a foundation called ‘Here to Support’ in support of the Amsterdam protest movement We Are Here. Under guidance of Elke Uitentuis ‘Here to Support’ realized art projects in collaboration with BAK, Frascati Theatre and Casco. At that time Here to Support also set up and organized a nomadic educational institute named the ‘We Are Here Academy’ in collaboration with local educational institutes like the UVA, VU and AHK. In 2016 Uitentuis said goodbye to Here to Support, to fully focus setting up and running ‘de Vluchtmaat’. ‘de Vluchtmaat’ was functioning as both a creative hub and shelter for refugees in limbo from 2016-2020. Here the artcollective We Sell Reality came to birth.  We Sell Reality is a social defiant label that reflects on the paradox of borders that are closed for some and open for others. We Sell Reality develops art projects and presentations aimed at offering an insight into the unjust of global disbalances represented in migration policies and how those affects personal lives. We Sell Reality has had exhibitions and presentations at the Amsterdam Museum, Framer Framed, Rijksakademie, Kunsthal Rotterdam and Het Nieuwe Instituut.

Elke Uitentuis currently also is in charge of the Workshop Social Practice at the Rijksakademie and is coaching students at the Masters Creative Producing at DAS.